Software testing plays a vital role in ensuring the delivery of high-quality software. Within the realm of software testing, two terms often come up: quality assurance (QA) vs quality control (QC). 

 

QA (Quality Assurance) and QC (Quality Control) are two terms that are used interchangeably. Although they are closely related, part of quality management and sometimes hard to distinguish, they are very different.

QA testing is focused on providing assurance that the quality required will be achieved.

QC testing is focused on fulfilling the quality required.

QA is focused on preventing the defect, QC is focused on identifying the defect.

While they are closely related, they represent distinct aspects of the testing process. In this blog, we will explore what quality assurance and quality control means, and highlight the key differences between the two.

What is Quality Assurance (QA)?

Quality assurance is a proactive process aimed at preventing defects and ensuring that the software development process is robust. It focuses on establishing and implementing standards, processes, and guidelines to ensure that software development adheres to best practices and meets quality objectives.

 

QA activities include:

Planning: Develop a comprehensive test plan that outlines the testing strategy, objectives, scope, resources, and timelines for the project.

 

Process Definition: Defining and implementing standardized processes and procedures for software development, including requirements gathering, design, coding, and testing.

 

Training and Education: Providing training and guidance to the development team on best practices, methodologies, and tools to ensure quality is ingrained in every step of the software development life cycle.

 

Reviews and Audits: Conduct regular reviews and audits of the development process, code, and documentation to identify potential issues and areas for improvement.

 

Risk Management: Identifying and assessing risks associated with the software project and implementing mitigation strategies to minimize their impact on quality.

The goal of quality assurance is to prevent defects from occurring in the first place by implementing rigorous processes, standards, and controls throughout the software development life cycle.

 

What is Quality Control (QC)?

Quality control, on the other hand, focuses on identifying defects in the software and ensuring that it meets the specified requirements. It involves the actual testing and validation of the software against predefined criteria. Quality control activities are reactive in nature and occur after the development process has taken place.

 

QC activities include:

Test Execution: Executing various types of tests, such as functional testing, integration testing, performance testing, and usability testing, to verify that the software behaves as expected and meets the specified requirements.

 

Defect Tracking: Capturing and documenting defects discovered during testing, including their severity and impact on the software’s functionality.

 

Root Cause Analysis: Investigating the underlying causes of defects and identifying areas where improvements can be made to prevent similar issues in the future.

 

Test Reporting: Communicating the test results and defect metrics to stakeholders, providing insights into the quality of the software and guiding decision-making processes.

 

The goal of quality control is to identify defects, track and resolve them, and ensure that the software meets the required quality standards.

 

Difference between Quality Assurance and Quality Control

Quality Assurance (QA) and Quality Control (QC) are two distinct but complementary processes within software testing. Here are the key differences between QA and QC:

 

Objective

Quality Assurance: The primary objective of QA is to prevent defects and ensure that the development process follows established standards and best practices. QA focuses on establishing processes, guidelines, and procedures to ensure quality throughout the software development life cycle.

 

Quality Control: QC aims to identify and fix defects in the software. Its objective is to validate that the software meets the specified requirements and conforms to quality standards.

 

Focus

Quality Assurance: QA focuses on process improvement and adherence to standards. It emphasizes creating and implementing processes that minimize the chances of defects occurring in the first place. QA activities encompass planning, process definition, training, reviews, and audits.

 

Quality Control: QC focuses on product verification and defect identification. It involves the execution of tests to identify defects, tracking and documenting them, performing root cause analysis, and reporting test results. QC activities include test execution, defect tracking, root cause analysis, and test reporting.

 

Timing

Quality Assurance: QA activities are performed throughout the software development life cycle, starting from the early stages. QA ensures that the development process is well-planned, controlled, and adheres to quality standards from the beginning.

 

Quality Control: QC activities are conducted during the testing phase, which occurs after the development process. QC involves the execution of various tests to validate the software’s functionality, performance, usability, and other aspects.

 

Approach

Quality Assurance: QA takes a preventive approach by establishing processes, standards, and guidelines. It aims to identify and eliminate potential risks and issues in the development process before they manifest as defects.

 

Quality Control: QC takes a corrective approach by identifying and addressing defects. It focuses on detecting and resolving issues found during testing to ensure that the software meets the required quality standards.

 

Role

Quality Assurance: QA is responsible for establishing and implementing quality management processes, defining quality objectives, and ensuring compliance with industry standards and best practices. It provides the framework for effective software testing.

 

Quality Control: QC is responsible for executing tests, tracking defects, conducting root cause analysis, and reporting the test results. It focuses on evaluating the software’s functionality, performance, and other quality aspects to ensure that it meets the specified requirements.

 

Conclusion 

In summary, while quality assurance and quality control share the common goal of delivering high-quality software, they differ in their objectives, focus, timing, approach, and role. QA emphasizes preventive measures and process improvement, while QC concentrates on defect identification and correction during testing. Both processes are essential for successful software testing and ensuring the overall quality of the delivered software.